community meetings, Volume 7 number 10, October 2005 October's ECA Meeting All in all, the Fall 2005 General Meeting of the Ester Community Association was rather—dare I say it?—businesslike. Compared to previous meetings, there were a minimum of bad jokes, speeches peppered with catcalls, or freewheeling discussions. It was definitely atypical. However, it was still a real ECA meeting. After the minutes were read and Mark Simpson was teased by the treasurer for his lone vote against something or other, the assembled approved last year’s minutes. Several people (Charlie Gallagher was a few of them) had forgotten what they had promised to do at the last meeting (held six months ago), so it was decided that meeting minutes should henceforth be sent to the webmaster and posted on line, so that people would know what they had volunteered for. The reports took up most of the meeting time. First came the park report. The ECA has until July 1, 2006 to use up the remaining grant funds for park improvements ($4,266). Several ideas were posited: a running track around the rink, picnic tables, forms for constructing ice walls around the rink, the kiosk, benches, a shed for a Zamboni machine (apparently offered by Clutch Lounsbury to the ECA). (This last would then require a Czamboni Czar to volunteer to maintain and drive the machine.) A discussion of where to get materials for building forms for ice walls commenced, but no decisions were made. Ideas for park projects should be directed to Mark Simpson, who still needs associate park czars. The Outhouse Czar (Frank Therrell) was applauded for keeping the outhouse so tidy that even miscellaneous local teenage girls had no complaints. This, it was agreed, was a significant accomplishment. Trash czars Columbo and Hans Mölders received huzzahs for keeping the buckets reasonably empty. All is apparently well with the well, although Craig Buchanan was not present in person to give his famous biannual report summary. He did, however, send in a written report, which was read to the membership. There are thirteen family memberships and three monthly ones; the well has no debt, and as of 9/30/05, has $1,350 in the account. Memberships are $50/year and 25¢ at the wellhead or $5/month and 25¢ at the wellhead. Associate memberships are also available. The well water was last tested 3/20/05 and is still fine. Geoff Orth gave the Trails committee report: “The trails are still there.” The Fairbanks Cycling Club is mapping trails in the Tanana Valley, and uses the main ski trail through Ester, apparently with gusto, according to Frank, who has heard bicyclists whooping with delight as they go careening along the trail. A sign is needed in the village to alert cyclists and snowmachine riders to “Go Slow—Take Yer Time—Please be quiet in the village.” Geoff volunteered to make the sign. Apparently, when reminded, trail users have been pretty good about using the trail with the village population in mind. Although money was reserved in spring for buying a few directional/use signs for some other trails, they haven’t been purchased yet. Jeff Weltzin still has some birch tree tapping tubing left in the woods out here from a decade ago; it will be requisitioned by the locals if he doesn’t get out here to get it soon. Tobben and Tonia Spurklind, who bought property on Stone Road (old and new) next to Jackie and Verice, will be moving the trail slightly, from where it now crosses the spot on which they will build their house. Deirdre Helfferich (yours truly) gave the library and website reports. As with the trails, they are still there. The website now has a park committee page, which is awaiting content from Simpson, and still needs some history added to the ECA history page. A minutes page will be added. The library, which earned a good $4,900 from the Lallapalooza in March, has since received money from a few membership renewals and $100 from Barbara Trigg. Andy O’Grady, a friend of John Trigg’s, donated several boxes of John Trigg’s old books, mostly science fiction and mysteries, but also some good nonfiction and reference books. Contact was finally made with the Rasmuson Foundation; they won’t buy land, but it does look likely that they would help fund a library building if the grant proposal can show sufficient community support. They also prefer not to be the only funder of a project. This means that the community needs to demonstrate a commitment to the project, both in terms of cash donations and in-kind donations or a written commitment to in-kind donation (such as promising X hours of carpentry labor or X dollars’ worth of materials or earthmoving time—that sort of thing) that can be used to show funding agencies that the community does indeed want the library. The next lallapalooza, scheduled for the last Sunday in March, will need to raise even more money than the first one did in order to make library a reality. The librarians had discussed the design of the building, and the most reasonable option seemed to make it an energy-efficient, alternative design that would take advantage as much as possible of such things as solar energy and superinsulation so that heating and electric costs will be kept to a minimum. Matt Reckard had earlier volunteered his engineering services to help with the design. A discussion arose around the focus of the proposed building: should it be merely a library, or also function as a community center? The membership at the meeting agreed that it would be nice to have a multipurpose use for the building, which would consequently need to be larger than originally envisioned. The site should still be in the village, or within easy walking distance of it, and likely landowners to approach include Rick Winther, Todd Hoener and Don Meares, Larry Flodin, and a couple of others. The ideal spot would be off the village square, but since the likely land is Gene Reed’s leach field, and the available parking lot is his, too, it was decided that this wasn’t a good bet, since Gene’s using his land just now. The librarians will talk to the local landowners about leasing or other options. Cecile Lardon pointed out that the library project really needed to be linked to community planning, and volunteered to help out with a community visioning project. No one from the Land Use Planning Committee was available to give a formal report, but according to a couple of its members, the common driveways in Emma Creek East look pretty good. (The auction, held last week, resulted in much of the property being sold off to nearby landowners.) Since Roy Earnest left, no one has taken on the chairmanship of the planning committee, and someone needs to, particularly in light of the rapid growth in the Ester area. There are more than 4,000 acres of borough land in the Ester area, and 60% growth is projected by 2017. The borough has suggested that Ester form its own comprehensive plan; the ECA agreed that this is urgently needed. Deirdre volunteered to set up a listserve for the planning committee. J.D. Ragan, who was supposed to give the bike path report, wasn’t able to make it but sent along a note: the design will be finalized soon, and people who want to be sure the bike path is in it should call Tim Wooster at DOT, at 451-2288. (The path may be in jeopardy or delayed due to recent funding cuts. Wooster told this author, however, that the path is still in the design plan. Wooster said, “The effects of the funding levels on this project will be unknown until the funding picture becomes clearer.”) Ruth Jasper wasn’t available to give the hall report, but it was decided that for the time being, the ECA needs a new hall monitor, as Ruth has not been living in the village full time, and has been unable to come to the meetings for a year and a half. Lois Sala volunteered to take on scheduling and rent collection until Ruth is able to do it again. The meeting decided that a thank-you letter should be sent to Ruth; Frank will write it. The membership voted to reinstate the cleaning deposit, which will be $25 in addition to the rental fee. Jeff Rogers wasn’t available to give the block of ice report, but no block had been picked up for the village. Charley Gallagher volunteered to deal with this. Bill Cullen, Frank suggested, might have a Tommy Lift on his truck that we could use, but as Bill wasn’t at the meeting and didn’t know his truck was being volunteered, Frank said he’d ask him about it. The membership voted to give $200 to the auxiliary for their pig fund. Upcoming events include: cookie exchange (Dec. 20, Lisa Sporleder, Ritchie Musick, and Marcia Tangermann); stone soup and caroling (Dec. 18, Deirdre, Maggie Billington, and postmaster Bill if he’s in town); the chili feed (spring sometime, Frank); and the Easter egg hunt (Easter, possibly Verice Doble, since he’s been an eggman and Mindy Gallagher definitely will not do it, although she’ll help the new Egg Czar. Verice wasn’t at the meeting, so this position is tentative.). Under New Business, the ECA voted to give Janet Thompson up to $250 to buy a new tent. The old one, used for the Fourth of July picnic and other such events, has fallen apart. The ECA community visioning project will be coordinated by Cecile and probably Bruce Jamieson, although he was out of town and may not know what he’s in for. A series of public meetings will be held monthly, starting in January and going through April, to figure out what we want for Ester’s future. The Spurklinds volunteered to provide beverages and other useful items to marathoners next year as they go down the trail through Ester. Elections were held, with the officers remaining for another term: Frank is president, Mark is veep, and Mindy, thank goodness, is still secretary-treasurer. Board members are now Lisa Sporleder, Kate Billington, Tobben Spurklind, Mike Musick, and Cecile Lardon, with alternates Amy Cameron Luick and Geoff Orth. | ||
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